Circle teams up with Ant International to bring USDC stablecoin to Ant’s blockchain, enhancing global payments once regulatory compliance is met.
Circle, the issuer of the USD-backed stablecoin USDC, has reportedly secured a partnership with Ant International, the global subsidiary of Jack Ma’s Ant Group.
Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Ant International plans to integrate USDC into its blockchain platform once the stablecoin achieves full compliance with US regulations.
While the exact timeline remains undecided, sources revealed that Ant sees regulated stablecoins as central to enhancing global payment efficiency and not crypto trading.
All Part of a Broader Strategy
Ant International, based in Singapore, is already a heavyweight in global payments. The firm processed over $1 trillion in transactions last year, with one-third of that volume handled via its blockchain.
The USDC integration is said to be part of a broader strategy by Ant to bring regulated digital currencies, including central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and tokenized bank deposits, onto its blockchain infrastructure.
Ant International Expansion Plans
Ant is also preparing for a potential IPO with valuation estimates ranging from $8 billion to $24 billion. Integrating a compliant, trusted stablecoin like USDC could work in the company’s favor, which is also actively exploring stablecoin licenses across multiple jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Luxembourg.
According to a Reuters report, the firm’s leadership views stablecoins as key enablers of efficient and user-friendly global payments.
Circle Builds on Post-IPO Momentum
The partnership follows pro-crypto legislation passed by the US Senate and Circle becoming the first stablecoin issuer to go public in the US, raising over $1 billion in its June IPO.
Alongside Ant, Circle is also working with OKX to boost USDC adoption via utility, allowing users to convert dollars to USDC (and vice versa) at a 1:1 rate, streamlining access for over 60 million OKX users.
Senior Director at Circle, Patrick Hansen, recently highlighted that the company’s other products are also witnessing a significant uptick in adoption with the euro-backed EURC stablecoin printing a fivefold growth in the past year.
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One year ago today, the EU made history by activating the world’s first and most comprehensive crypto and stablecoin regulation: MiCA 🇪🇺On that same day, @circle became the first major global issuer to achieve compliance — issuing EURC & USDC under the new EU framework. https://t.co/WGllc6qTQO
— Patrick Hansen (@paddi_hansen) July 1, 2025